1 Kings 12 - International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Israel Turns Against Rehoboam

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem because all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam son of Nebat was still in Egypt. He had gone there to escape from Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam being made king, Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 So the people sent for him. Then he and the people went to Rehoboam. They said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father forced us to work very hard. Now, make it easier for us. Don’t make us work as hard as your father did. Then we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days. Then I will answer you.” So the people left.

6 Some of the elders had helped Solomon make decisions during his lifetime. So King Rehoboam asked them what he should do. He said, “How do you think I should answer these people?”

7 They answered, “You should be like a servant to them today. Serve them, and give them a kind answer. If you do, they will serve you always.”

8 But Rehoboam did not listen to this advice. He asked the young men who had grown up with him. They advised him in making decisions. 9 Rehoboam said, “The people said, ‘Don’t make us work as hard as your father did.’ How do you think I should answer them? What is your advice?”

10 The young men answered, “Those people came to you and said, ‘Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.’ So you should tell them, ‘My little finger is bigger than my father’s whole body. 11 My father forced you to work hard. But I will make you work even harder! My father beat you with whips. But I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.’”

12 Rehoboam had told the people, “Come back to me in three days.” So after three days all the people returned to Rehoboam. 13 At that time King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them. He did not listen to the advice that the elders had given him. 14 He did what the young men had told him to do. Rehoboam said, “My father forced you to work hard. So I will give you even more work. My father beat you with whips. But I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.” 15 So the king did not do what the people wanted. The Lord caused this to happen. He did this to keep the promise he had made to Jeroboam son of Nebat. He had made this promise through Ahijah, the prophet from Shiloh.

16 All the people of Israel saw that the new king refused to listen to them. So they said to the king,

“We have no share in David!
We have no part in the son of Jesse!
People of Israel, let’s go to our own homes!
Let David’s son rule his own people!”

So the Israelites went home. 17 But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.

18 Adoniram was in charge of the people who were forced to work. King Rehoboam sent him to the people. But they threw stones at him until he died. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. 19 Since then, Israel has been against the family of David.

20 All the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned. So they called him to a meeting. And they made him king over all Israel. But the tribe of Judah continued to follow the family of David.

21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. This was an army of 180,000 men. Rehoboam wanted to fight against the people of Israel. He wanted to take back his kingdom.

22 But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God. The Lord said, 23 “Talk to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Talk also to all the people of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people. 24 Say to them, ‘The Lord says you must not go to war against your brothers, the Israelites. Every one of you should go home. I made all these things happen!’” So the men in Rehoboam’s army obeyed the Lord’s command. They all went home as the Lord had commanded.

25 Then Jeroboam made Shechem a very strong city. It is in the mountains of Ephraim. And Jeroboam lived there. He also went to the city of Peniel and made it stronger.

Jeroboam Builds Golden Calves

26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom will probably go back to David’s family. 27 The people will continue going to the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. If they do, they will want to be ruled again by Rehoboam. Then they will kill me and follow Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 King Jeroboam asked his men for advice. So he made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too hard for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.” 29 King Jeroboam put one golden calf in the city of Bethel. And he put the other in the city of Dan. 30 And this became a very great sin. The people traveled as far as Dan to worship the calf there.

31 Jeroboam built temples on the places of worship. He chose priests from all the people. (He did not choose priests only from the tribe of Levi.) 32 And he started a new festival. It was the fifteenth day of the eighth month. This was like the festival in Judah. During that time the king offered sacrifices on the altar. He offered sacrifices to the calves in Bethel he had made. He also chose priests in Bethel to serve at the places of worship he had made. 33 So Jeroboam chose his own time for a festival for the Israelites. It was the fifteenth day of the eighth month. During that time he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built in Bethel. So he set up a festival for the Israelites. And he offered sacrifices on the altar.

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1 Kings 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he [is] yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt), 3 that they send and call for him; ...
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1 Kings 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 Forsooth Rehoboam came into Shechem; for all Israel was gathered thither to make him king. 2 And soothly Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, when he was yet in Egypt, and fled from the face of king Solomon, turned again from Egypt, for the death of Solomon was heard; (And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, when...
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1 Kings 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, 3 and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly ...
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1 Kings 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, a border city between Ephraim and Manasseh, because the entire community of Israel had gathered there to install him as the new king. 2 Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) received word of this while he was living in Egypt, hiding from King Solomon. 3 Then the people of the nor...
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1 Kings 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Rehoboam’s Foolishness12 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from the face of King Solomon and settled in Egypt. 3 They summoned him, so Jeroboam and all the cong...
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1 Kings 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehobo′am went to Shechem,[a] for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And when Jerobo′am the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from King Solomon), then Jerobo′am returned from[b] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called hi...
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1 Kings 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehobo′am went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And when Jerobo′am the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from King Solomon), then Jerobo′am returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him; ...
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1 Kings 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam ...
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1 Kings 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.(A)2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam remained in Egypt.(B)3 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and...
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1 Kings 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Northern Tribes Revolt12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt,[a] for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembl...
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1 Kings 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

Israel and Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now Jeroboam the son of Nebat was still in Egypt where he had run away from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard the news, he returned from Egypt. 3 They sent for him. Then Jeroboam and all the peop...
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1 Kings 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(A)12 And (B)Rehoboam went to (C)Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when (D)Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in (E)Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 tha...
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1 Kings 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Israel rebels against Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of ...
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1 Kings 12 - New International Version (NIV)

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam(A)12 Rehoboam went to Shechem,(B) for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled(C) from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assem...
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1 Kings 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Israel Refuses to Follow Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to the city of Shechem. All the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now ...
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1 Kings 12 - New English Translation (NET)

Rehoboam Loses His Kingdom12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in[a] Shechem to make Rehoboam[b] king. 2 [c] When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.[d] 3 They sent for him,[e] and ...
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